Tonsillitis is usually divided into two types: acute tonsillitis and chronic tonsillitis, and the clinical manifestations exhibited by the two types of tonsillitis are different. Acute tonsillitis is usually caused by several bacterial or viral infections. The symptoms of acute tonsillitis may come on suddenly or with a gradual onset of fever and sore throat. Symptoms of acute tonsillitis include difficulty swallowing saliva, drooling, earache from swallowing, bad breath, the surface of the tonsils may be bright red or have a grayish-white coating (exudate), the lymph nodes in the neck may be swollen, and fever. Chronic tonsillitis is the result of a persistent infection of the tonsils. Repeated infections may lead to the formation of crypt foci in the tonsils, which contain bacteria. The small, foul-smelling tonsils often found in these crypts may contain large amounts of yellowish-white, purulent secretions that, when crushed, give off a characteristic rotten egg smell and cause bad breath. They may also cause the patient to feel a foreign body sensation in the back of the throat. Usually, an organism with acute tonsillitis or chronic tonsillitis will have several of these symptoms, while inflammation of the tonsils is contagious, so it is important to pay attention to disinfection and sterilization, and to seek medical attention in a timely manner for serious conditions.